clearance in a walkway in commercial kitchen!!

[beansy99]

i need to know what is the required width for a walkway in the kitchen.there is 1 rack with dishes on it and my chef pulls it away from the stove and that creates a problem when my coworker and I need to pass by each other with carts side by side.

 

[steveray]

I would say probably 32" absolute min. but it would require a lot more info to figure out...

 

[bill1952]

I would say that if from both sides or ends of the restricted path there is a means of egress - a way out of the building - without squeezing by chef's cart, there is no minimum required clearance. Code requirements are met.

Not sure turning to fire and building codes is best way to get cooperation among employees or fix poor planning and design. Really seems like a management issue.

 

[e hilton]

If the rack is on wheels, it could be shown on the plans in the retracted location to meet code, and then he pulls it out to access the dishes (or whatever it holds). Seems like more of a management problem than code.

 

[bill1952]

Does anyone show rolling carts and storage on plans?

 

[e hilton]

My architects do.

 

[steveray]

I can barely get the correct code editions on my plans the first time....

 

[bill1952]

In my experience they're figuring out furniture and equipment after construction has begun. Of course I work in a building type with where there is a lot of portable gear to start and up to 20 or 30 semi trucks unloading and loading regularly.